Impressions of Julia

Julia both contrasts and mirrors Winston. She contrasts him in that she is ignorant to the meaning of the small details of the party. For example, she is uninterested in the purpose of newspeak and its effects. She also does not care about the erasing and remaking of history. She sums up her indifference by claiming that if “one knew it was rubbish, […] why let oneself be worried by it?” (156) this is a very narrow viewpoint. It shows that she is mostly concerned with herself, not the greater good.  If she knows the truth, it will suffice but even the truth that Winston reveals to her bores her to the point of putting her to sleep. I find her lack of interest surprising, considering how against the party she is. She, however, would rather act out through means of sex and the black market. This makes her a doer, for she feels as though she is physically breaking the law. This contrasts Winston’s wimpy attempt with his diary which seems obsolete compared to the actions Julia has committed.

Although Julia is daring, she is naive. I cannot seem to get over her ignorance towards the party’s lies. Although it is not surprising to her, I would expect her to at least be interested. I find it frustrating that she is so selfish when it comes to this. I wonder whether she is truly attracted to Winston like he is to her or whether she is merely using him. She perks up when Winston seems to insult her. Their dynamic is quite strange. I am weary of Julia. She seems preoccupied with defying the law in the only two ways she knows how: sex and the black market. Otherwise, she seems as though she could care less about defying the party. She benefits from both these actions, further emphasizing her selfishness.